How Miss West Was Won (8 page)

“Yes, sir,” Mrs. Dunlap said. Her tone of voice indicated she was happy to get away from the Bannisters.

When she was gone, Eli took Cordelia’s hand and led her toward a dirt road between two buildings. They stopped just inside it.

“What do you think you were doing?” he said, his voice low and lethal. “You slapped her?”

Cordelia thought for a moment before she answered. Finally, she said, “The slap gives credence to our story. There is no way a wife would stand by and allow herself to be treated that way without reacting.”

“You should have let me handle it,” Eli said. “Now, everyone across town is talking about what happened. They are questioning who Constance is, and why she is here. I had wanted this handled quietly.”

Cordelia could not help but laugh. “If that is so, you would not have hired me. How are the people in this town going to react when I am gone? You will be the focus of gossip once again. If you wanted to do things quietly, you would have met her in New York when her ship landed, paid her off and sent her back to England with no one being the wiser that the situation even existed.”

He did not answer, and Cordelia could see that the idea had never even occurred to him. Why was that? “Who suggested that you hire me?”

“Lower your voice,” he commanded. “Need I remind you that we are in public, even if we are off on a side road?”

“You did not answer the question.”

“No, I did not.” He ran his hands through his hair and Cordelia felt a little pity for him. He had not asked for this, and it was not something he wanted to deal with.

“Forgive me,” she said, softly. She put her hand on his arm. “I really do not know what came over me.”

“It’s a little late for that,” Eli said. “I meant what I said, though. Don’t be surprised when it happens.”

Eli took Cordelia’s hand one more time and led her toward the street. They found the store they were looking for and went inside. Melody Smith was there, fingering fine bolts of cloth under the watchful, and distrustful, gaze of the shopkeeper. The minute Eli came in, the man straightened and greeted him by name.

“Mr. Monson, this is my wife, Cordelia.” Mr. Monson bowed in her direction. Before Cordelia could answer, Eli said that they were to meet the lady in question, who was going to make Cordelia a dress for the party.

They quickly found material and a pattern, and then Mr. Monson helped Melody take Cordelia’s measurements. When they were done, Eli compensated Mr. Monson, and Cordelia could see by the look on the shopkeeper’s face that it was quite generous.

Melody beamed at her. “I’m looking forward to this,” she said. “I’ll have it ready for you to have a fitting in a few days.”

Here, her facial expression changed, and Cordelia guessed the problem quickly. “Shall I come into town for the fitting, or would you rather come out to the house? I can send someone to bring you out.”

Melody’s smile returned. “I would like to come out.”

“Two days time it is,” Cordelia said as Eli came up to them. She told him her plan, and he nodded.

Soon, they were in the carriage on the way back to the Four Fours. The ride was quiet, and Cordelia worried about what she had done. When they had been back on the street, people had openly stared at them, whispering behind their hands as they passed by. Each time it happened, Cordelia could feel Eli’s anger rising.

Now, she worried that he was going to do exactly what he had said he was going to do: spank her. “Eli, we need to—”

“Don’t say anything,” he said before she could finish. “I’m not willing to discuss things right now.”

Cordelia took a fortifying breath. “It is not going to go away. We need to discuss what to do next.”

“Cordelia…” he left the sentence drift off as he directed the wagon through the gates of the ranch. Behind them, Mrs. Dunlap had been silent, and the moment the horses stopped at the front of the house she jumped down so fast, Cordelia thought she was much younger than her years.

Cordelia started to do the same, but Eli grabbed her arm. “Do you remember what I said in the store?”

The anger in his voice only brought about her annoyance. “You were saying nothing. You were standing there like you had seen a ghost and it had taken your voice. You stood there and allowed her to insult me.”

Eli shook his head. “You didn’t give me a chance.” He leaned toward her. “A spanking is in order to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. I meant it when I said it, and it’s time to deliver. Get off the wagon, Cordelia.”

Getting down was not a good idea, because she knew the moment she got down, he would take her upstairs and spank her. She would stay here all night if she needed, simply to keep him from slapping his hand against her ass.

“Tell Mrs. Dunlap I will take my dinner here.”

“You’ll find it hard to sit on this wood after I’ve reddened your ass.” The tone of his voice told her he meant what he said, and Cordelia knew that staying where she was gave him the opportunity to grab her and take her over his knees.

In a feat of energy that she did not know was in her, Cordelia gathered her skirts and vaulted over the side of the wagon. She landed on her side and rolled, knowing the dirt would probably ruin the dress she wore.

It took her a few moments to right herself and get to her feet, but it was all the time Eli needed. He was right beside her, holding onto her elbow. “You can run, but I will catch you. I warned you that I would spank you, and I meant it. Now, I will give you two choices. I can take you upstairs and spank you in your bedroom, on your bare ass. Or I can take you to the porch and spank you there, with your bottom covered by your bloomers. Either way, you will be spanked. It is your choice how the event takes place.”

Cordelia could hardly believe her ears. Was he serious in saying that he was going to spank her on the porch, for anyone to see? Well, she had news for him. “You would not dare do it where anyone could see, and I refuse to go upstairs with you, so—”

Cordelia didn’t get the chance to finish the statement. Eli moved so quickly that she did not know how it happened, but she was quickly over his shoulder, and he was heading toward the porch.

“Eli! Unhand me, you cad!”

He did not answer her, and Cordelia doubled her hand into a fist and drove it into his back. His oomph of pain made her feel better about things, but it did not change the situation at all. Eli mounted the steps without seeming to put out any extra effort and as he walked toward a bench on the side facing the mountains, Cordelia started to squirm, trying as hard as she could to get out of his hold.

Fast movements of arms and legs made Cordelia feel as if she might get away, but she was soon across his lap, and he was lifting her skirts over her hips. “Eli! If you do this, I will leave, I swear it!”

His answer was to slap his hand across her bottom.

“You bastard!” Cordelia could not believe that word came out of her mouth. It earned her another swat, and then another.

Wiggles and squirms were not helping her to get away from him, and it only seemed to fuel his determination, because the swats intensified, and she could feel the pain seeping through her bloomers and settling into her bottom.

“Eli! Stop it!” Eli stayed silent, and the next voice that joined the situation made Cordelia scream in frustration.

“Eli, where are you?” Stuart’s voice sounded confused. “Do you need me to put the wagon up? Eli?”

As Eli continued to spank her, Cordelia could hear boots ringing out on the wooden porch.

“Eli, I am begging you,” she said, praying her softened tone of voice would stop him. She had not counted, but she knew he had been spanking her for a good five minutes. “Please do not let Stuart see me in this position.”

But Eli ignored her, and he delivered five more hard swats to her ass, the last two bringing tears to her eyes. When he let her go, she tumbled off his lap. Eli caught her before she hit the wood and he set her on her feet.

“I am leaving in the morning,” she said through clenched teeth. “You can figure your own way out of this problem, but I will no longer be your so called wife.”

She pushed past Stuart before Eli could answer her. It seemed to Cordelia as if she flew up the stairs, she was moving so fast. When she got to her room she locked the main door, then went to the other one and realized that there was no way to block it, since it opened into Eli’s room, and had no key.

In frustration, she moved as many small items as she could in front of the doorway. It would not stop him if he wanted to come in, but it would slow him down.

Then, after taking a deep breath, Cordelia took out her case and started to pack.

I am sore. Actually, I am not sure that is the correct word to use. My bottom aches a little, but my pride hurts more than I care to admit. Eli did not attempt to come into my room last evening, which is a good thing, because I am not sure how I would have reacted. I skipped breakfast this morning, and when I went down for lunch, he was not there.

Mrs. Dunlap was unusually quiet, and I am sure the news of my spanking spread through the ranch like wildfire. When I told her I was leaving, and that my bags were packed and I needed a ride into Denver, she stared at me as if I had three heads. Then she informed me that the train would not be in Denver again for another four days. I could take a stage out of Boulder, if I wanted, but she was not sure of the schedule. She would ask Eli.

I told her I would ask him myself. I fully intend to do it tonight, before dinner. I do not intend to sit down at the table with him again. My anger from last night subsided quite quickly, but as I said, my pride still stings.

When I think of Stuart coming around the corner and seeing Eli punishing me as he did… well, it is more than I can bear. The only thing that would have made it worse was if Eli had bared my bottom, something he had promised to do the next time he spanked me.

I am not certain why he did not, and I do not propose to ask. I suppose one could say I deserved what I received, since I had been warned to keep my mouth closed. I have been over the scene in my mind for what feels like a thousand times, and I cannot see any outcome other than what happened.

Still, I hate to admit that I fueled the fire, so to speak. There is no telling what Constance will do now. I suppose that—

The pen skidded across the paper as the door to her room burst open. Startled, Cordelia’s hand bumped into the bottle of ink. She barely caught it before it spilled all over the surface of the desk.

“What do you think you are doing?” she cried out as she turned to see Eli stride into the room. He slammed the door behind him and then turned to face her.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself,” he said, his anger apparent.

“For packing in one night? Yes, I am. I need a—”

He shook his finger at her. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re the reason the mess is worse than it was before. Constance has gone to the marshal, and told him that you attacked her. The ranch hands are all up in arms that you beat her.”

“Beat her?” Cordelia stood abruptly, almost knocking over the ink again. She stepped away from the desk before she actually managed to knock the ink over and make a mess. “I slapped her.”

“Yes, you did, and you’re lucky Reese was there to tell the marshal the truth, or there is every chance he would be here to arrest you.”

Cordelia thought she might be ill. She never should have left New York. “I need to go home,” she whispered.

Eli stepped in front of her. “You are stronger than that, Cordelia. Yes, you are angry with me for spanking you, but I don’t think you are the type of woman who turns tail and runs.”

“I will be on the train in the next few days,” she said. “Please, take me down to Denver.”

“No.” Eli put his hands on his hips. “If you run now, it makes you look guilty, and it gives Constance what she wants. Plus, I hate to be selfish about it, but I don’t want her to say that she has the right to enforce the contract now. The woman is – different, and I have no desire to have her try and force my hand.”

He got down on one knee, and Cordelia could not help but notice the correlation between that and a wedding proposal.

“Please, for my sake, don’t go.”

“You spanked me,” she said, praying her voice was even. “Not only did you spank me, but you did it outside, and Stuart came up and saw me in that horrid position.”

She waited for Eli to say he was sorry, but he did not.

“I can not believe it,” she said. “Not even words to make up for what you did?”

“I told you to behave yourself,” he said. “You refused.”

That thought made her angry. “You were doing nothing,” she said. “I believe I told you that before. Besides, I do not see why you do not send the woman packing. Why are you so afraid of her?”

Eli sat down on the bed, and Cordelia wanted to stand up just to get away from him.

“I have not seen them, but my lawyer tells me she has papers that she could enforce, or I could owe her quite a bit of money.”

Cordelia stared at him. “That does not make any sense. How could she have such papers? And if that were true, why did you send for me?”

“The story we came up with was that I married you before I knew of the pact between our fathers. That means I was not technically breaking the covenant. That’s what Nathan says.”

“Your attorney?”

“Yes.” He lay back on the bed, and Cordelia could not help but feel sympathy for him. He was the last of his family, and if he did not find a way to get rid of Constance, he could possibly lose part of his family home, or at least the money that kept the ranch afloat.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I will stay under one condition.”

She heard him laugh. “You don’t have to say what that condition is, because while we’ve kissed, there has been no sex.”

Cordelia cleared her throat. “I am referring to the spanking. You will not spank me again.” She had her face turned to the window, refusing to look at him as they spoke of this sensitive subject.

“Very well,” Eli said. “I will not spank you on the porch again. Does that work?”

“You know very well it does not.” She kept her gaze turned away from him. “What you did was embarrassing to me, and it should have been to you, too. I want your word, Eli.”

“No more spankings,” he said.

Tension seemed to seep out her fingers as he made the promise. “Thank you. Now, I think the two of us should go to see Constance in the morning. We should take along a witness to overhear the conversation, perhaps this marshal you spoke of. I think it would be good to get it on the record that she fabricated events that took place in the shop.”

“Not a bad idea,” Eli said. “We can go first thing in the morning. Now it is almost time for dinner. I think you have time to unpack your suitcase.” He stood, and stretched. “Shall I tell Mrs. Dunlap you’ll be down for dinner?”

Cordelia considered it for a moment before she nodded.

* * *

The ride into Boulder the next morning was strained, made even more so by the fact that Stuart accompanied them. All Cordelia could think about was that he had seen her over Eli’s lap, being spanked.

But it did not seem as if Stuart thought anything about what he had seen, because he was acting exactly as he always did, with an upbeat spirit and the need to crack a joke or two every few minutes.

Eli was not responding to the jokes very well, which did not surprise Cordelia at all. She was sure he was worried about the upcoming meeting. Of course, Constance would not know about it yet. Their plan was to stop at the marshal’s office first, and speak with the man. Cordelia had told Eli she thought it would be best if the marshal set things up between them and Constance.

They could wait in the marshal’s office, which was where the meeting would take place, unless the lawman had a problem with the plan. If he did, she supposed the hotel would be the next available space, in one of the parlors.

They pulled into town close to noon, and the streets were crowded. People stared at them as they made their way toward the stables to drop off the wagon and horses. Cordelia felt as if her skin was on fire. The looks were totally different from what she had seen the other day; skepticism and a little bit of anger replaced the curiosity. The marshal might have been able to accept the truth of what happened, but Cordelia knew people were not so easily swayed. They had heard the rumors Constance had spread and a great deal of them probably believed Cordelia was prone to anger and violence.

Once they had convinced the marshal, Jacob Sky, of their plan, he left to go and get Constance.

“I’m not sure I want to stick around for this,” Stuart said. “I think I might go and see if there’s a card game going.”

“It’s barely noon,” Eli said before he left. “And we’re not staying long.”

“So you hope,” Stuart said as he headed toward the door.

“I need you to listen to what’s happening,” Eli said. “That’s why you came, remember?”

Cordelia saw Stuart’s hesitation, and the way his shoulders dropped at his cousin’s words. He came back into the main area and slumped down into a chair.

“Let me do the talking,” Eli said to her.

“I will,” she replied.

“And no smacking,” he said with a grin.

“You mean slapping,” she returned, trying not to laugh.

“Exactly.” They were standing very near each other, and Cordelia wanted to reach out and pat his hair. Stray strands of it were curling upward, toward the area where he had removed his cowboy hat when they came into the office.

She could not help but once again notice how very handsome he was, with his dark hair and eyes. The temptation grew too strong, and she put her hand on his head to smooth his hair. “We want to make sure you are presentable,” she said, softly.

“Thanks,” he said. When she was done, he took her hand in his. He rubbed his finger along the palm of her hand before he lifted it to his lips.

“Eli,” she whispered. “This is not the time, nor the place.”

“I disagree,” he said, seconds before he kissed her.

Her lips were soft under his, and they tasted slightly of the honey she had put in her tea that morning. Before she could pull away and object, Eli put his hand on her neck and pulled her closer.

Was it his imagination that he heard a soft moan escape her mouth? Yes, it probably was. It was more likely she was telling him to stop, and he just couldn’t make out the word. He broke the kiss and stared down at her. Damn but she made him hard, even standing in the marshal’s office with Stuart seated nearby.

“Why did you do that here?” she asked. He loved the thought that her voice shook just a little.

“Because I wanted to,” he said. “I always want to kiss you, Cordelia, even when you’re slapping women who are causing trouble.”

Cordelia giggled, and the hard cock in Eli’s pants pulsed with need.

“You know, there’s a room back there with a cot in it,” Stuart said. “It may be surrounded by bars, but I’m sure the two of you could make good use of it before Jacob gets back with your other wife.”

“Shut up, Stuart,” Eli said just before he claimed Cordelia’s lips again. This time she didn’t fight him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave into the kiss, pressing her lips hard against his.

Eli let his hand roam down her back, almost to the sweet bottom he’d spanked. He remembered the feel of her over his knees, how she’d struggled to get free. Afterward, he’d been angry with himself for doing it on the porch. He should have taken her upstairs to his bedroom, and he should have spanked her much harder than he had.

But that was over now. The only thing that mattered right now was the woman standing in front of him. She pushed away the thoughts of what was about to happen, the reality of the problems facing him.

If he could just bury himself inside her, feel her warmth and wetness around him as he pumped. Something told him Cordelia would be a wonderful lover, once she had a little bit of schooling in the department.

“Well, isn’t that sweet,” a voice broke into his thoughts. Eli lifted his head to see Constance standing near them, a frown marring her features. Jacob was next to her, and he was smiling.

Eli stepped away from Cordelia, but he took her hand and squeezed it. She returned the gesture.

“Mrs. Bannister, I believe we should start this with an apology,” the marshal said as he propped his behind on his desk.

“Indeed,” Cordelia said. “Constance, I was wrong for striking you. Please accept my apology.”

“I do not.” The woman shook her head. “I have come to talk with Eli about what I wanted to talk with him before. I would appreciate it if you would leave.”

Her voice was calm, and while Eli appreciated her obvious control, there was no way he was letting Constance manage the meeting.

“My wife stays,” he said.

He saw Constance’s lip tremble. “I am your wife.”

“You want to be. I understand you think the papers you have give you the right to...” ‘The right to what,’ he thought, unsure how to end the sentence.

“We married by proxy before I left England,” Constance said, and Eli felt as if someone had kicked him in the stomach.

“What?” the word came from Cordelia, Stuart and Jacob at the same time.

Constance held up a piece of paper. Eli took it. It was a marriage license, with unfamiliar seals on it. There were signatures he didn’t recognize.

Eli shook the paper. “I don’t care what this says. I am not married to you. I didn’t agree to any proxy marriage.”

“But you did,” she said, as tears started to fall down her face. She opened her bag and took out a folded sheet of paper.